society of villains series reading order — l.j. shen (bad bishop & twisted pawn)

a mafia king arranged into a marriage with someone everyone thinks is a pink princess who can't talk.

an assassin heir who's never wanted anyone but her but can't have her due to the mafia of it all. and a third book coming in september that i genuinely cannot wait for.

the society of villains series by l.j. shen is not one i expected to love as much as i do.

what makes this series worth it

each book follows a different couple in the same dark mafia world — so technically you can read them as standalones, but reading in order makes the world feel richer and the connections between characters hit harder. start at book one. trust the process.

and i will say this — twisted pawn is better than bad bishop. that is not a compliment i give easily. bad bishop sets the world and does it well. twisted pawn takes everything up a level.

darker, more delicious, more addictive. second chance romance in the best possible way — he's never wanted anyone but her, and the mafia world around them is the only thing standing in the way.

reading order

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series reading order

society of villains

L.J. Shen · 2 books

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dark romance

Bad Bishop

L.J. Shen
#1 • society of villains series
🌶🌶🌶🌶
Bad Bishop

sold to a psychopath prince who thinks she’s a pawn… but she might be the one who brings him to his knees.

forced proximity mafia romance marriage of convenience who did this to you touch her and die
✓ on kindle unlimited
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dark romance

Twisted Pawn

L.J. Shen
#2 • society of villains series
🌶🌶🌶🌶
Twisted Pawn

she betrayed him twice… now the man she once loved is hunting her, and this time he plans to finish it

mafia romance second chance romance enemies to lovers touch her and die
✓ on kindle unlimited
amazon support local bookshop

can you read them as standalones?

technically yes — each book follows a different couple and works independently. but reading in order gives you the full world, the character connections, and the context that makes each book hit harder. start at bad bishop. you won't regret it.

my take

twisted pawn is better than bad bishop and i don't say that lightly. let's see if l.j. shen can continue the thrill with fallen rook.

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frequently asked questions

questions readers ask

frequently asked questions

what order should i read the society of villains series?
bad bishop (book 1) → twisted pawn (book 2) → fallen rook (book 3, september 2026). each book follows a different couple, but reading in order makes the world and the character connections hit harder.
how many books are in the society of villains series?
three books confirmed so far — bad bishop (2025), twisted pawn (2026), and fallen rook (september 2026). heartless king and corrupt knight are planned for 2027.
can the society of villains books be read as standalones?
technically yes — each book follows a different couple and works on its own. but reading in order is recommended. the world builds and the connections between characters land harder when you’ve been there from the start.
is twisted pawn better than bad bishop?
yes. and that’s not a compliment i give lightly. bad bishop builds the world. twisted pawn takes it further — darker, more addictive, and the stronger book of the two. read bad bishop first anyway. you need the foundation.
what genre is the society of villains series?
dark mafia romance — morally gray mmcs, obsessive dynamics, high stakes, and tension that doesn’t let up. bad bishop has age gap and arranged marriage. twisted pawn has second chance and enemies to lovers. both are spicy with darkness that’s present but not overwhelming.
is the society of villains series on kindle unlimited?
yes — bad bishop and twisted pawn are both on kindle unlimited. fallen rook status tbd on release.
when does fallen rook come out?
fallen rook — book 3 in the society of villains series — is expected september 22, 2026.

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